


Legman

by JohnAmendAll



Category: Miss Marple - Agatha Christie, Red Dwarf
Genre: Gen, Obscure and British Commentfest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-26 06:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1678316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnAmendAll/pseuds/JohnAmendAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course Ace Rimmer is prepared to give a harmless old lady any help she asks for. That's the kind of guy he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Legman

**Author's Note:**

> I liked jjpor's prompt so much that I wrote two fics from it. This is the second.
>
>> Red Dwarf/your crossover fandom of choice, Ace Rimmer + crossover characters, being awesome as usual. ;)

Now that the rain had cleared up, it was sufficiently warm and sunny that Miss Marple had chosen to sit out on the hotel terrace. It had been a fortunate decision; otherwise, the blond, handsome young man who'd found her lost umbrella would have had to hand it in at the reception desk. As it was, he was able to hand it to her with a gallant bow. 

"Oh." In a flurry of pink wool, Miss Marple gratefully accepted her restored property. "Oh, thank you so much. It was very kind of you to go to such trouble on my account. And it was actually lying in the road, you say? I do hope you didn't put yourself in danger to get it." 

Ace Rimmer, as he'd introduced himself to her, saluted. "Don't mention it, ma'am. Adventure's my business, danger's an occupational hazard." 

"Yes, I can see that. You remind me, you know, of William Jones. He always dreamed of being able to serve his country. He joined up as soon as war was declared, you know, and they gave him... now, was it the DSO? Yes, I think that was it. The trouble was, he started to believe— Oh, but I mustn't chatter on, I must be boring you terribly." 

"Not a bit of it, ma'am. Is there anything else I can do for you?" 

"Oh. Dear me. Well, I really have no right to ask you this..." Miss Marple set down her knitting, hung her restored umbrella on the arm of her chair, and looked straight at him. "But I wonder if you could have a word with Helen Thorpe — the receptionist, you know, at this hotel. She's normally a very efficient girl, but in the last couple of days she's made some very careless errors. Ever since that porter was found dead in Shepherds Lane. Maybe she saw something, and I think it would be safer for her if she could be induced to say what it was." 

Ace glanced through the glass doors of the hotel to the reception desk, and the slender, attractive young woman sitting at it. "Have you asked her?" 

"Yes. She insists she's told Inspector Duckham everything already, which I don't believe for one moment. But I dare say," Miss Marple added, with a slight smile, "that a handsome boy like you might have a better chance." 

"Consider it done. I'll saunter that way, give her a bit of the old chat, maybe find somewhere quiet we can talk, and be back here with everything she knows in... shall we say twenty minutes?" He gave the receptionist a longer, more appreciative look. "On second thoughts, let's say an hour." 

He strolled off in the direction of the desk. 

"Yes," Miss Marple remarked to herself. "Very like poor William with the ladies. I do hope she will not fall in love with him. That would be most troublesome. But then, if she had only been sensible and talked to the Inspector, the problem would not arise." 

And with that thought, Miss Marple took up her knitting once more.


End file.
